OBiTALK Community

Firmware, Software Updates => Firmware / Advisories / Notifications for OBi Products => Topic started by: ipse on September 23, 2013, 09:47:30 AM

Title: Desperate- cannot downgrade from 2824 which broke my PSTN (bridges drop)
Post by: ipse on September 23, 2013, 09:47:30 AM
HELP!
Not asking it from Obihai (as one can see ZERO involvement lately) but from the helpful community.

My problem: after (foolishly) upgrading to 1.3.0 (Build 2824) I found a killer issue: I get dropped from my company's Intercall bridge after a few minuted when dialing the PSTN line. This NOT happening if I use Google Voice.
I tried to mess with Silence detection thresholds but that didn't do anything.
Note that my old trusty analog phone connected directly to PSTN does NOT get disconnected - this is obviously an Obi problem.

I will not even begin to tell you how embarrassing was yesterday to present a status report to a VP and get dropped (twice) while talking. I ended up calling using GV.

My solution was to try and get back to 2774 - which did NOT have this problem.
No luck: looks like this option was taken away by the Gods at Obihai - who must do damn confident in the quality of their (user tested) software:

<<Firmware downgrading is prohibited>>

I tried with a hex editor to change the build number to appear greater, but obviously that f...s up the CRC on the file...

Need help quickly before I throw it away ...TIA

/EDIT Turns out that it's not just the silence detection sensitivity (I set it LOW and didn't do a thing) but rather having it disabled on the LINE.
I chatted with Obi Support and was advised to disable silence detection, but I disagree with the solution (might work as a temporary one) - if I am on a cal and I speak, I expect silence on the far end, and if THAT is considered a reason to disconnect, we have a problem. To me the real silence is when neither party speaks.

Regardless...I was also told one cannot downgrade, he/she must open a ticket for that. Really Obihai?
Title: Re: Desperate- cannot downgrade from 2824 which broke my PSTN (bridges drop)
Post by: Rick on September 24, 2013, 04:12:27 AM
Zero involvement by OBi on this forum isn't new - it's always been that way except for posting of sales and a few posts a long time ago by Sherman about firmware upgrades. 

As I've said repeatedly, firmware upgrades ON ANY DEVICE should not be done unless they fix a problem you are having or provide a new capability that you need.  Not only do you run the chance that the device will have issues, but you can brick a device if the upgrade fails. 

To me, applying an upgrade provided by OBi that has no documentation or inadequate documentation, and that they refuse to explain more fully when requested (I've sent emails directly to Sherman and used chat and complained), is very risky. 

I plan no upgrades from 2774 on my OBi 110. 
Title: Re: Desperate- cannot downgrade from 2824 which broke my PSTN (bridges drop)
Post by: giqcass on December 15, 2013, 01:58:12 AM
Quote from: Rick on September 24, 2013, 04:12:27 AM
As I've said repeatedly, firmware upgrades ON ANY DEVICE should not be done unless they fix a problem you are having or provide a new capability that you need.  Not only do you run the chance that the device will have issues, but you can brick a device if the upgrade fails.  

I agree with Ricks recommendation.  On devices I don't depend on for day to day use I occasionally run bleeding edge and experimental software. For any device I depend on I don't usually upgrade but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis I prefer manual upgrades.   ;)

I let other suckers test updates first.  This actually saved my computer on at least one occasion.  Microsoft sent out an upgrade that bricked every HP computer with my model number.  The only way to fix them was to manually remove the update in safe mode and turn off updates.

The fact that Obi can force a downgrade remotely makes me think we might be able to do it as well at a provisioning level.  I haven't dug into the actual hardware but I imagine we might be able to use jtag to downgrade as well.
Title: Re: Desperate- cannot downgrade from 2824 which broke my PSTN (bridges drop)
Post by: ProfTech on December 16, 2013, 08:31:25 PM
I disabled "DetectFarEndLongSilence" almost from day 1 on my Obi 110 and have never seen a problem except with some of the early, buggy releases. If you are using a standard PSTN line in the US I suspect all of them provide / use CPC. Should be much more reliable than silence detection. I suspect the feature was only put in there for some "dumb" PSTN providers who don't provide either CPC or polarity reversal.
Title: Re: Desperate- cannot downgrade from 2824 which broke my PSTN (bridges drop)
Post by: dkr88 on January 12, 2014, 04:30:48 PM
I suspect that a recent FW upgrade on my Obi100 (I foolishly left mine set to auto-upgrade) broke communication with my monitored home security provider...

I'd love to be able to downgrade so I can test this theory... Has anyone figured out if a downgrade from 2824 is possible?

Title: Re: Desperate- cannot downgrade from 2824 which broke my PSTN (bridges drop)
Post by: giqcass on February 07, 2014, 01:00:04 PM
I think a flag in the provisioning file controls the ability to downgrade.  I believe you can create a provisioning file that would change the flag but I don't know where the parameter is in the file.  I managed to downgrade my Obi202 from 4269 to 4142 but I'm not sure how to reproduce the behavior.  I had been conducting multiple tests trying to enable downgrading at the time.  My Obi is able to upgrade and downgrade freely so I don't even have a locked Obi to test.